Executive brief
A security vulnerability has been identified in the Windows Kernel, the core component of the Microsoft Windows operating system. This flaw allows a user who already has basic access to a computer to gain higher-level administrative privileges. If exploited, an attacker could take full control of the affected system, potentially leading to unauthorized software installation or data manipulation.
Technical details
This vulnerability is classified as a Use-After-Free (CWE-416) within the Windows Kernel. An attacker with local access and low-level privileges can exploit this flaw to execute code in kernel mode, leading to a full privilege escalation. The attack vector is local, requiring the attacker to already have an authorized session on the target machine, but it does not require user interaction. Microsoft has released security updates to address this issue across multiple versions of Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server 2016.
Affected products
- Microsoft Windows 10 Versions 1607, 1809, 21H2, 22H2
- Microsoft Windows 11 Versions 24H2, 25H2, 26H1
- Microsoft Windows Server 2016 Standard and Server Core installations
Timeline
- 2026-07-14: disclosed
- 2026-07-14: advisory